A new chapter began in the history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with King Abdullah becoming king on the 26th day of the sixth month of Jumada Al-Thani in 1426 in the Hijri calendar (corresponding to Aug.1, 2005). The king has been keen on making all-rounded progress and achieving sustainable prosperity for his people.

The king's opening the doors of higher education to people in all parts of the Kingdom and sending thousands to advanced countries for higher studies and research will undoubtedly accelerate the cultural and social progress in the country, apart from technological and economic advancement.

The revolutionary reforms in the field of education include an increase in the number of universities in the Kingdom from eight to close to 30, the opening of colleges, technical and health institutes and faculties of education for girls and the opening of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University.

Over the past eight years, Saudi Arabia has achieved milestones covering every corner of the Kingdom and every one of its members, which also has promoted unity and cohesion between the people and the leadership.

While several countries in the Arab world have been embroiled in various kinds of turmoil and chaos, the Kingdom has remained an oasis of peace and prosperity thanks to King Abdullah’s leadership with foresight and wisdom.

The historic decision of the king to appoint women members to the Shoura Council has been internationally acclaimed.

The King’s efforts in creating affordable housing has also been highly commended. He ordered the construction of 500,000 housing units in different parts of the country, besides establishing a ministry of housing to speed up housing projects. New mortgage laws have also been introduced with the aim of solving the housing problem. In addition, economic reforms in the Kingdom have made the Kingdom one of the safest places in the world to invest.

The Kingdom features among the 20 most powerful economic powers in the world. A number of new economic cities are also being established with the aim of greater prosperity apart from creating more employment opportunities.

The expansion of the Holy Haram in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah have also been an achievement that has garnered appreciation from the entire Muslim world. Besides the expansions in the courtyards of the Grand Mosque, the Masaa (the lanes between Safa and Marwah) and the holy sites of Arafat and Jamrat, the Mashair Railway will make travel between the holy sites safer. The Haramain railway project, on the other hand will make travel between Makkah and Madinah shorter.

The Hafiz program was introduced with the aim of solving the unemployment problem of youth. Under this program, they are given a stipend of SR 2,000. The Nitaqat program for the employment of Saudis has also been introduced.

A number of hospitals and health centers have also been built in all parts in the Kingdom with the aim of ensuring health care to citizens and residents.